A Whole New World
by onceuponaswan2
Summary: *Since s7 will sadly be lacking CaptainSwan, here's what should've happened* Emma and Killian move to NYC to start their new life with the prospect of having a family of their own, but soon magic begins to filter to the real world with a villain in town and suddenly everything begins to crumble.
1. Chapter 1

**The fandom is a pretty drab place without news of s7, so I wanted to write a story on speculation of CS in s7...I don't know where I'm going with it, so stayed tuned? Maybe? Reviews and constructive criticisms are always appreciated!**

It's been three months since Killian and Emma left Storybrook to start their new life in New York City. Of course it was a difficult decision, but with everyone returning to the Enchanted Forest, Emma wanted a new start. She wasn't comfortable going back to a land she knew virtually nothing about. Plus, living without Netflix would be killer for her.

Thankfully Regina managed to wrangle a portal to go visit the Enchanted Forest any time Emma and Killian wanted too. Especially since Regina wanted to periodically be with Henry. They could visit the city or the other way around. It worked for them.

"Hey, love, mind giving me a hand?" Killian has been learning to adapt to the modern world and hover around city living. So far it's going exactly how Emma imagined: disastrous.

Wiping her hands on her jeans, Emma goes into her office to see what he's trying to master this time. "What is it?"

"I can't seem to find an application," he squints his eyes at the computer screen.

Resting her hands on his shoulders, Emma roams her eyes over the Coast Guards' official website. They came to an agreement that if they were going to love in New York City, he would need a job to stay busy and help support their family. Without a thought, Emma knew the Coast Guard would be the perfect fit for Killian. They couldn't bring the Jolly Roger with them, so working on the water would be perfect for her pirate.

"Babe," Emma pointed to the tab where the application is. "I think it'd be best for you to just go in and introduce yourself with the application."

"Are you just trying to get out of helping me put the information into this bloody device?" he arches an eyebrow at her.

She smirks at him. "Maybe. But to be fair, since you can't cook, I'm stuck with the duty."

The front door to their apartment swings open, and Henry drops his bag down in frustration. He started high school today, and Emma can already tell it isn't going to be smooth sailing. He's still adjusting to living in a land without magic. He may not have magic of his own, but he grew up around it.

"Hey, kid," Emma walks into the kitchen with Killian in tow.

Killian screws his hook back on. He likes to wear it when Henry is here as a form of being the man of the house or something. Emma can't actually figure out the reason why. Of course, before they left Storybrooke, they fashioned a prosthetic hand for him when they go out in public.

"How was school?" Killian sits down at the counter, grabbing for a banana from the fruit bowl. Emma insisted on him eating healthy.

Henry sighs, sitting down beside Killian. Emma still can't get used to see the two of them together. Her boys. She thinks about the box of pregnancy tests she bought this morning on a whim. Her and Killian have talked about starting a family eventually, but they wanted to settle in to their new life. And to find steady jobs. Thankfully, her contacts back in Boston gave her a lead on bail bond jobs in the city, and a week after arriving back in the city, she was offered a job. However, she's not getting any younger and Killian certainly is well beyond his prime.

"Mom?" Henry asks her with a concerned look on his face.

"You okay, love?" Killian asks her.

She shakes herself from her daydreams. How long was she just staring into oblivion? "What did you ask?"

"I was wondering what you were making for dinner," Henry tells her, taking a bite into the apple he's been holding.

"Oh," Emma goes back to the oven where she began to make dinner before Killian pulled her away. "I was making your favorite in honor of your first day: tacos!"

Henry scrunches his nose at her, probably recalling the scene with her parents years before. They used to be his favorite food. But she was really craving tacos this afternoon. "Mom…."

Killian lifts an eyebrow at his complaint. Emma never mentioned the incident after her mom and her arrived back from the Enchanted Forest. That story might be spared for another time. It's not something she likes to bring up. "I'll fill you in later."

Later that night, Emma's staring at the box of pregnancy tests in her hand. She should broach the subject with Killian now. Before she chickens out. Like she did this morning. Wrapping her robe around her, she sits on the side of the bed with the box in her hands. Killian is finishing up the dishes. He comes in wiping the water from his hook on his pants.

"Those bloody dishes," he mutters before looking at her sitting on the bed.

Her hair is wet from her shower and her face is void of any makeup. She looks like a mess, but that's what's so great about being married: you don't have to look your best 24/7. He looks down at the box in her hands, raising a questioning eyebrow at her. He probably doesn't even know what they are.

"What's in your hands, love?" He asks, pulling his shirt off to get ready for bed. He changes into a pair of pajama pants. She never gets sick of seeing him in all of his glory.

"I-" she doesn't know how to approach the subject so she just blurts it out, "I want to have a baby."

He stalls, his back facing her. She sits with her hands in her lap, nervous at his reaction. He's being oddly silent and that isn't like him. "Forget it-"

Turning around, she sees a smile plastered on his face. "Really?"

"Yeah," she nods her head vigorously. "I'm getting older and you're like a million years old."

He smirks at her. "Never seem to mind that, love," he says suggestively.

Throwing a pillow at him, she rolls her eyes. "So you want to…start trying?"

"Tonight?" he asks rather enthusiastically.

Laughing, she shakes her head. "Maybe not tonight. We just ate tacos…I don't feel too sexy."

He sits beside her, taking her chin in his hands. "I think you look beautiful all the time."

Kissing him lightly on the lips, she lies down, bringing him with her. He turns off the lamp on the side table. She rests her head against his shoulder and they're silent.

"So…what's the story behind tacos?"


	2. Chapter 2

**As always, unedited so sorry! Tomorrow is the big wedding! Yay!**

Emma stands at the stove, cooking pancakes for Killian before he ventures out on his first day job hunting. Since he's new to it, Emma took a day off from her new job back in the bail bonds person. The second week on the job, and she already took a day off. But without her help, who knows what would happen to Killian alone in New York City.

A pair of arms wrap around Emma's waist. She leans back into him as she continues to flip the pancakes. The feel of his scruff against her neck makes her skin heat up. Even though they've been married for a couple of weeks, that doesn't stop her from her heart fluttering every time he's near.

"Smells good, love."

"The last time you said this while I was making pancakes, my mom almost walked in on us having sex on the table," she pushes him lightly away from her.

"Your mother is back in the Enchanted Forest, love. If she was able to disrupt us this time, it would be like a damned curse followed us here," he rakes his hand through his hair in exasperation.

Emma gives him an annoyed look. "I think you've forgotten that Henry is also still in the apartment and if he saw us, he would be scarred for life. Lord knows I can't erase the image of me walking in on my parents all those years ago."

"Aye, you telling me that story last night killed the mood."

"What mood?" Henry walks into the room dressed for school.

Emma glares at Killian, expecting him to jump in and defend his words, but he makes no move to do so. He quirks an eyebrow at her with that smug smile she would love to slap off his face at the moment. Looks like it's up to her to save her child's innocence where Killian and her are concerned.

"The mood for breakfast…We were talking about the taco incident just now."

Henry scrunches his face at the memory. "Ew. I would've liked my mom to give me a memory curse specifically for that moment."

"You and me both kid," Emma flips the last pancake onto the plate. She places it on the table where both of the boys grab almost the whole plate, leaving Emma with only one pancake. Sometimes she forgets how much boys can eat. And living with two boys often leaves Emma craving more food once she leaves the house in the morning.

Sighing, she covers the pancake in syrup. Killian pours her a cup of coffee, adding just the right amount of creamer and sugar into it. Even though he prefers to drink his black, he knows just how she likes it. She still doesn't understand how she can love a man who drinks his coffee without any cream or sugar. The thought of drinking black coffee is asinine and repulsive. Henry devours all three of his pancakes in the same amount of time Killian eats his two. Emma had planned on them all having two a piece, but Henry is a growing high schooler now and eats them out of house and home. The grocery list and price has gone up considerably.

The knock on the door startles all three of them. Emma moves to get up and answer, but Killian rests his hand on her shoulder to stop her. He walks to the door before realizing he's still wearing his hook. Grabbing the prosthetic hand from the table, he screws that on.

Peeking out of the peephole, Emma can see the stiffness in his demeanor. She puts her mug to her lips as she waits for him to finally open the front door. Standing in the doorway is none other than Zelena. Emma pauses the descent of her coffee mug to her lips. The crying of the baby is the first hint as to why Zelena may be here. She's been having a tough time with baby Robyn in the Enchanted Forest, and her and Emma have talked about Zelena moving to the city. Plus, Zelena doesn't have her magic anymore, so it's easier for her to adapt to life with electricity and technology. A thing that made Emma's decision about the portal between the two worlds a lot easier. As much as she would like to live in the place she was supposed to grow up in, she's spent over thirty years in this world. And she knows this world a lot more than the other one in where she's from.

"Zelena," Killian gestures for her to come in, giving Emma an annoyed look. Even though Zelena has turned over a new leaf, Killian still hasn't forgiven her for all the hell she caused him from before they got together. It was actually because of Zelena that Emma chose not to trust Killian for a while. Then there was the whole Robin/ Marian thing and the thing with Hades. So, yeah the water isn't completely under the bridge for him quite yet. Eventually he'll get there. Just as he did with the rest of the town. Besides Rumple. But now that Rumple is dead, there's no reason to worry about that.

After Rumple ultimately sacrificed himself for Storybrooke after the Black Fairy cast her curse, Belle and Gideon went on to live in the Enchanted Forest. They had twenty-eight years' worth of catching up to do. Emma knows that feeling all too well. Zelena sits across from Emma where Killian had been sitting, which annoys him even more. Plopping down in the seat between Emma and Zelena, he drinks his coffee in silence. Henry watches him as he finishes off his orange juice. He knows when his step dad is about to go all pirate.

"Killian," Henry tries to catch his attention. "I met this girl at school and I was wondering if you could help me pick out an outfit to try to impress her?"

Killian looks up at him with a smirk on his face. Then he looks to Emma whose eyes are nearly bugging out of her eye sockets. It's unlike Henry to talk about girls with them. "A girl. Is there now?"

Henry just rolls his eyes, but he knows what his mom wants to talk to Zelena about. He knows that Killian won't be too happy about the information, so he has to pull out all of his cards to distract him. They go off into Henry's room where Killian all but criticizes every piece of clothing that Henry owns.

Zelena bounces Robyn on her leg. "I think I found a place. It's actually in this building, but on the first floor."

Emma presses her lips together. True, it was her suggestion for Zelena to find an apartment close by in case she needed help, but she didn't mean in the exact building that she lives in. Granted, they lived on the tenth floor, but still. With Killian, she knows that will be far too close for him. She needs to talk to him about this, but not when they're trying for a baby. Now would not be the best time.

"Oh," is all Emma says.

"You talked about how much you love this area, so I thought why the hell not?" she smiles down at Robyn who is busy gnawing at Emma's table cloth. Zelena gently pulls the table cloth from out of her baby's mouth when she sees Emma watching. A sudden rush of nervousness hits Emma. She doesn't even know how to deal with a baby gnawing at her table cloth. What makes her think she's ready to have another baby? She knows nothing about raising one since she didn't go through anything with Henry. Of course Hook won't know how to either since he was a pirate for hundreds of years.

"Emma?" Zelena waves her hand in front of her face to get her attention.

"Sorry. I didn't sleep much last night." And that's the truth. After talking to Killian about wanting to have a baby, her mind wandered for the rest of the night. She thought about the name, what he or she would look like and who she or he would act like. All of the things she was thinking about was positive. Until now.

Zelena gives her a face. "I may not have your super power, Savior, but I know you're not telling the truth right now."

Emma leans back in her chair. "Killian and I are trying for a baby."

The smile that comes across Zelena's face is surprising for Emma. She never sees much of Zelena' smile considering all the evil she has done. The events of the past couple months haven't been terribly happy either.

"That's wonderful," she tells Emma. "A baby born out of true love."

Emma's about to open her mouth to talk more about her fears of having a baby, but Henry and Killian walk back in. Henry is sporting one of Killian's leather jackers with an annoyed look on his face.

"Umm…this is new," Emma hides the laugh bubbling within her.

Henry gives Emma an annoyed look before glancing back at Killian. "He says this is why you fell in love with him. And he also said something that I really wish he hadn't."

"Dear God…" Emma puts her hand to her face. "What the hell did you say, Killian?"

"Just that you can't resist the leather, love. We all know that's the reason you slept with me."

Emma nearly falls off her chair a that. "We are going to be having a very long talk later, Killian Jones. Off to school, Henry. Also take off that jacket."

Henry gladly shrugs off the jacket, tossing it to Killian, muttering a good bye to them. Emma is in front of Killian with her hands pressed against his chest. "Before I kill you, why don't you be a good husband and get me and Zelena a bagel from that bakery down the street."

"Anything for you, love." He kisses her on the nose before taking the jacket Henry flung at her, slipping it on.

Watching Killian walk out of the apartment, she turns to Zelena. "I need to talk to Killian about all of this. I haven't told him about it yet, and he's not too keen on you."

Zelena shrugs. "Can't say I blame him. So you guys are trying for a baby. That's bloody exciting!"

Emma sits back down. "Yeah…it is."

They discuss the living situation until Killian arrives back home with three bagels for them. They all eat in silence before Zelena leaves them alone. Then Emma has a very long talk with Killian about what he can and cannot say to their son.


	3. Chapter 3

A **s always, not edited, so hopefully not too cringy!**

Emma keeps checking her phone. It's Killian's first day on the job at the Coast Guard, and she can't help but worry that he'll do something a pirate would do. Although he's been in the real world for a while, he still sports his pirate demeanor around proudly. For that, Emma isn't too mad about. She's always had a thing for his pirate side.

"Ms. Swan," her boss Greg sits on desk, making Emma roll her eyes. She moves her wedding picture of Killian and her off to the side so it doesn't crash to the ground. He's constantly trying to hit on her. She can't wait for him to try it tomorrow for the summer BBQ the office puts on every year because she knows Killian will have a lot to say to the man. Maybe it'll make him back off. As the newbie to the staff, she's being forced to go. Even Killian pushed her to go to make new friends.

"What is it?" she asks without looking up, flipping through a file of a man who skipped bail and has three small children. Shame really.

Greg smiles down at her. He's not bad looking. Probably only a couple of years older than her, but he's certainly not as handsome as her husband. Sometimes Emma still can't believe the fact that she has a husband. It really is her happy beginning after all.

"As you know, I gave you a new case, but I actually need help with one of my own," he tells her.

This time she does look up at him. The boss asking for help is something you only trust with the best bail bonds person. Emma's only been here three months now. "And you want me to accompany you?" she asks in disbelief.

"Of course," he nods. "You're one of our bests, and I trust you, Emma."

As much as she doesn't want to spend too much time with him, this offer is too good to pass up. It's an honor to work alongside the boss in this industry. Emma agrees to accompany him on his case that begins next Monday.

Arriving home, she sees Killian on the couch with his feet propped on the coffee table. Henry's beside him playing a video game. Killian curses under his breath as Henry defeats him once again. His hook doesn't have much an advantage in the world of video games.

Emma flops down beside Henry, leaning her head against her son's shoulder. He pushes her off just like any other teenage boy would do to their mother.

"How was work, love?" Killian glances over at her in between trying to win this round of the game.

"My boss assigned me to a new case that he needs help with," she tells him casually. She knows Killian doesn't know much about the bail bonds world, so he probably doesn't grasp how big of a deal this all is for her. Maybe tomorrow during the BBQ he'll learn a bit more from her coworkers.

He smiles over at her, telling her congratulations.

Later that night, Emma stares up at the dark ceiling. She's dreading this company picnic more than she thought she would. Getting up, she runs her hands down her bare arms to warm herself. Grabbing for her pants and a hoodie, she ventures towards the kitchen. For now, she's not pregnant, so there's no harm in drinking a shot of rum. Or two. After the second shot, she feels slightly more at ease. No wonder Killian drank this all the time during his vengeance days. It's definitely a good way to cope.

The sound of footsteps startle her, and she says, "I'll come back to bed in a second." But when she turns around, she sees Henry. He's holding the storybook close to his chest. Something he hasn't brought out since they moved to New York. He took it pretty hard when the final battle came, and the stories all came to a close. The book was his safe anchor for the first ten years of his life. The ten years when Emma chose not to be in them. She will always resent herself for not giving motherhood a chance, but she knew she wouldn't have given him a good life back then.

"What is it?" she asks her son.

He sets the book down on the table. "I woke up to the book glowing from inside my closet. I thought I was just dreaming, but when I took it off the shelf, it flipped to a new page. A page that shouldn't be there."

Cautiously, she opens to the page that he has book marked. Staring back at her is a frightening sight. She drops the book onto the floor with an audible gasp. That's enough to wake Killian up, as he comes running into the kitchen. Wearing…nothing.

"Oh my God," Henry glances away quickly.

Killian scratches behind his ear. "Is everything okay?"

Emma puts her hand over her mouth, still frightened by the image staring back at her on the page. She can't even find it in herself to scold Killian to put some clothes on. She manages a tight nod.

"Put some clothes on!" Henry yells with his hand over his eyes.

Killian returns moments later with a pair of sweat pants on. He didn't bother putting a shirt on. "Someone better explain to me what's happening?"

Emma picks the book from the floor, bringing it over to her husband.

"Bloody hell," he puts his arm tightly around Emma, comforting her.

"Did you know her? Back in the Enchanted Forest?" Emma steps away from him.

He reaches for her, but she side steps him. He knows her walls are coming back up, sparking from the fear of what she saw on the pages. "The White Witch; Killian did you know her?"

He shakes his head. "No, love, but I heard tales. She's the most wicked of them all. Even more so than the Evil Queen herself. Nobody ever saw the White Witch, but there have been many of tales of the blasted woman. She takes no mercy."

"So what does she want with us?" Henry asks the two of them, hopeful they'll have any idea considering they now live in a world without magic. "How is she here, in New York?"

Glancing down at the page again, Emma wraps her arms around herself. The image shows Killian and Henry trapped by ice, daggers of ice dangerously close to decapitating them. Off to the side is a picture of Emma and the witch. She has Emma in a death grip, taking any life from her as she can manage. But the worst part of all is the bundle sitting by the witch's feet, a baby who is clear as day her and Killian's. Emma looks down at her stomach. She's not even pregnant yet, which means they have time to stop the witch and obliterate her before she kills them all and takes their baby.

"Not sure kid, but what I do know is that we have time on our side. We'll call Regina and my parents tomorrow for a meeting."

She kisses Henry on his head, pushing him back towards his room to go to sleep. They all still have the picnic to attend at noon, and she wants to make sure her boys are well rested for a day in the sun.

Emma didn't sleep a wink last night. How could she? And now she's being forced to go to a company picnic with her flirty boss and coworkers she could honestly care less about. It's times like these that she actually misses Storybrooke. But going back is no longer possible since the only way to defeat the Black Fairy was by obliterating Storybrooke and all the happy memories she made there.

"Ready?" Killian asks her.

Grabbing her keys and purse, she nods her head, not saying anything. The subway ride to Central Park is silent until they get to the place where the picnic is being held. Over 50 people are scattered around the lawn on their respective blanket. Emma spots Greg with his partner, Louis over by the grill. He waves to her from across the lawn, slapping Lois on the back as he makes his way over to them. Henry lays their blanket down and begins to read his book he was assigned for English class.

Killian rests his fingers into the loops of his black jeans. Now that it's too hot for his leather jacket, Emma coerced him into a dark blue polo that looks even better on him than a model. She fought him tooth and nail about exchanging his dark pants for shorts. Exclaiming a man wouldn't ever dare show so much leg. She really needs to get him for comfortable with the fashion of 21st century men.

"Emma Swan," he greets her with a smile.

"It's Swan-Jones," Killian chimes in, a bit annoyed.

Okay, so he's immediately pissed off at her boss. This is going to go well. "Greg, this is my husband, Killian. Killian, this is my boss Greg."

Greg sticks his hand out to Killian to shake who begrudgingly shakes it. "Emma hasn't talked much about you."

Emma's mouth opens at the absurdity of Greg's statement, but Killian's comeback settles the score. "Same could be said about you. I just didn't know you'd be such an ass."

Now it's Emma's turn to interject. "Killian," she scolds under her breath. "Well, Greg, I'll see you later."

His mouth is in a thin line as he sizes Killian up. "Lunch will be ready soon," he directly tells her before walking away.

With her hands on her hips, she turns to Killian who has a smirk on his face. "I can't believe you said that to him!"

"I saw the way he was looking at you," he states simply.

"Babe, he's my boss."

Killian looks over to the man now talking to another woman, but without the hungry glances he was giving Emma. His hand curls into a fist at his side. He should've done more than called him an ass. "I don't like him."

Henry stands back up, looking between his mom and step-dad. "Regina, grandma and grandpa are coming tomorrow for lunch to talk about the…situation."

Emma had almost forgotten about that, being too caught up in her husband's jealousy. She did want Greg to try something on her so Killian could stake his clam. But she had merely been hoping he wouldn't wrapped his arms around her or something to that affect.

"Great," Killian says, not meeting either of their stares.

"Can we talk?" Emma pulls Killian away, not bothering for an answer.

They stand behind a tree, far enough away from any of her coworkers and their families. "What the hell is your problem? It's got to be more than my boss," she holds down the bottom of her red sundress so it doesn't fly up for everyone to see.

"You're right, it is more than just your boss," he tells her. "What if I'm no able to protect you and Henry. And our future child from the White Witch?" There's an inkling of panic so clearly visible within his deep blue eyes.

Emma puts her hand against his cheek in a reassuring gesture. "You will."

"How do you know that, Emma?"

"Because you're the same man who saved me from Walsh and saved me from a lifetime of loneliness in New York. And who saved the entire town from the Dark Ones. You know how I really know though?" She meets his eyes before continuing. "I know you'll be able to protect us because you love us so much, that you would take any measure to ensure we were safe. That, Killian Jones, is how I know."

He rests his forehead against hers. "I love you."

"I love you too. Now, let's get something to eat and worry about this later. Right now, let's have a nice time at this stupid picnic."


	4. Chapter 4

S **ometimes Emma is just too stubborn! Sorry for the unnecessary angst, but I love for angst, so expect more. Hmmm the White Witch seems so easy to find...**

"The White Witch… Regina, do you know her?" Snow looks at the former evil queen. If all villains were in cahoots like she assumed, then Regina would definitely know this witch. Then again, she never knew Zelena.

David sits with his arms crossed, staring daggers at Killian. Emma sighs at the two, reminding to scold Killian later for telling her father that he's trying to put a baby in his daughter every night. Sometimes the man has no filter. And by sometimes, she means all of the time.

"Dad…" Emma groans from across the table. "We're married; you didn't really think that-"

David holds his hand up to stop Emma from saying another word. Thankfully Henry had to work on a paper with his group for school at the library. She doesn't want to traumatize her teenaged son. Although, Killian wouldn't mind doing so. "Don't finish that sentence."

Regina arches an eyebrow. "Now that, whatever that was, is over, can we get back to the problem at hand? The White Witch, not your daughter and her husband's," she coughs slightly, "sex life."

"I wouldn't mind talking about it more," Killian says with a smirk on his face which is immediately erased when Emma sends a threatening look in his direction.

"Really?" Emma questions her husband. "Regina's right. Let's get back to what we really need to be talking about here before I take your other hand."

"You do have a thing for the hook…" he replies under his breath.

Emma gets up from the table, throwing her hands up. "If you're not going to be helpful, just leave!"

Snow looks at her daughter's aggravation, the feeling similar from when she had been pregnant with Emma. Due to Zelena's curse, she never got to experience that with Neal. For that, she is grateful for the curse.

"Emma," Snow gets up and puts her hand on her forearm. "Can we talk for a minute?"

Emma reluctantly gives in without a fight, moving towards her bedroom so they can talk privately. She sits down on her bed with a huff of annoyance, crossing her arms as she does so. Since Snow missed Emma's teenage years, this is more than making up for the melodramatics of raising a daughter. Snow sits down beside her daughter, taking her hand within hers. She looks at her daughter's face, so full of anguish.

"I'm pregnant…" Emma whispers under her breath, a lone tear spilling from her eye. "I haven't told Killian yet thought; I can't right now. I had wanted so badly to not be until we defeated the witch."

Snow presses her lips together. "I'm happy for you, and Killian has the right to know. It doesn't matter though, Emma, because we will defeat her. Like we did with every other villain we have come across. I have no doubts."

Emma wipes away the tears spilling from her eyes. There's a knock on the door and then Killian's voice, asking if everything is alright. Snow kisses her daughter on top of her head, telling her to do what's right. She smiles at Killian as she walks past him back into the kitchen. He looks at Emma, the tears running down her face, and he kneels down in front of her, taking both of her hands into his hand. She holds tight, not bothering to stop the tears from falling. When she looks into his worried, blue eyes, she knows what she has to do. She can't tell him. Not yet. Not when he only wants his family to be safe, and this news might cause him too much panic. She can't put that burden on anyone else.

"Love, what's wrong?" He removes his hand from hers, wiping the tears from her face in a gentle gesture.

She shakes her head. "Just…I thought we could come to New York and start a new life without monsters. I guess we can never escape that aspect of our life."

"Not in the cards for the Savior, I guess," he says defeatedly. "But it doesn't matter, Emma. That witch is going to wish she never messed with you."

She grabs his face between her hands, kissing him sweetly on the lips. "Thank you."

"Of course, love. Now, how about we plan our attack on the bloody witch, and we can begin our happy beginning?" He wiggles his eyebrows playfully at her, earning a laugh he had been looking for.

They return to the table hand-in-hand. Regina is flipping through the storybook, shutting it shut when she stumbles upon a picture of Robin and her. Emma glances at her with a sympathetic look on her face. Regina had finally found love, and it was taken from her once again. All thanks to Hades. Killian sees the look in Emma's eyes, knowing deep down, she feels guilty for Robin's death. The front door bursts up with Zelena and a crying baby in tow. She bounces Robyn on her hip, her hair in disarray.

"Sorry I'm late," she sets Robin down in the playpen Emma kept for when Neal or Robyn dropped by. Plus, she'll be needing it soon herself anyway.

Zelena practically falls into the chair across from Emma. Her eyes are lined by bags so clear that it's a surprise she isn't keeling over this moment. The real word is taking a toll on the powerless Zelena.

"We just got started," Killian tells her, wrapping an arm over Emma's shoulders.

She leans into him. "How can we figure out where she's hiding?"

"No need," Zelena says. "I was up last night. Well, I was up all night, and I did a wee bit of digging. Turns out our friend moonlights on Broadway."

Emma arches an eyebrow. This is new. And weird. "What?"  
Zelena pulls out her phone, flashing them a picture of a woman, probably not much older than Emma. She's blonde with bright blue eyes and a ghostish appearance. She stands in front of a red curtain. "Of course she's not a performer, but she does own one of the theatres in the city."

Regina looks closer at her phone. "How did you…?"

"Come now, Sis, you know even without my magic I could hunt Gwen down."

"So you know her?" Snow leans forward in her chair, desperate for any answers Zelena can provide.

Zelena nods her head. "Unfortunately I have had the pleasures in my witching days. Us witches stick together. Well, the bad ones did."

"How do we stop her?" Emma gets to the point of the meeting.

"Magic is useless in New York; I don't know how she would even make use of hers. Unless the sorcerer made an exception for her," her lips turn upside down at the thought.

Killian shifts closer to Emma. "Do you think she plans to curse us to the Enchanted Forest?"

That possibility hadn't even been on Emma's mind. The fear in her eyes must have been noticed by her father who reached across the table for her hand. Emma has taken a few jaunts to the fairy tale world, but being cursed there against her own freewill frightens her. More so than when the Black Fairy cursed her into the asylum and her family in the Enchanted Forest. Emma visibly shakes at the memory of her time in the asylum. It wasn't until Henry once again made her believe in magic that she remembered all she had lost. The thought of going through that again is too much for her to handle.

"Emma," comes Killian's voice, knocking her out of the dark memories. She would never tell him this, but from time to time, she has nightmares of all the bad memories she's gone through. Gideon trapping Killian in other realms; Neverland; thinking she'd lost Henry after she had just met him; the Underworld; her own darkness. And so many other memories she's tried her hardest to suppress from her head. That's the thing about memories thought; you always remember them. They're ingrained into your being whether you like it or not.

"She's going to kill me," Emma says quietly.

Killian faces her head on, turning her so she's looking into him. "Don't say that, love."

"This is it…This is where my story ends. I was fated to die, remember? Maybe this is where it all ends."

Snow looks at David worriedly. "Emma…"

"No!" Emma yells at them, getting up from her seat. "I knew I couldn't have a happy beginning. Not after all the shit I have gone through and conquered. I always knew there would be something that I just couldn't fight. This is it."

"So you're just giving up?" Regina stammers. "This isn't you."

"Aye," Killian stands up, catching Emma with his hook. "The Emma we know doesn't surrender so easily."

Emma looks into her husband's eyes. "That Emma has died." With that, she walks out of the apartment, leaving everyone staring at her retreating back.

"I need to go after her," Killian starts to leave, but David grabs him by his arm. "Let go of me, mate."

David lets go. "She needs time to think. Even though her walls are down, she still has moments when she retreats back into herself. Give her time."

Snow stands up too. "He's right, Killian. On her own terms, she will ask for help when she needs it. This is all so much for her. For all of us


End file.
